Guzzirider

I'm planning a trip to the Nordkapp on my cafe racer next July (assuming its finished!) and have been doing plenty of planning / Googling but I would love to hear from anyone who has done a similar trip with any advice you may have. 1/ I need to think about accomodation- I want to cover a lot of miles in not many days and I hope not to have to lug my camping gear. I've read that many Norwegian campsites have cabins you can stay in- how much do these cost? Are they generally available late July / early August even if I do not book? 2/ I've heard that the speed limits are strictly enforced and there are big fines if you are caught- I'm assuming these fines apply to foreigners- how much are we talking about if you get caught? For planning assumptions I've estimated that the roads will be tough, and I will average around 60 km/h on the move- is this realistic? 3/ I will need to take a few ferry crossings when I am over there- how much do these tend to cost? 4/ How much is unleaded fuel? 5/ What will the likely weather conditions be like? I'm assuming it will rain, it could get cold and may be windy- any danger of snow that time of year? 6/ My knowledge of the Norwegian language is non- existent (apart from the word Norge!)- will I be ok speaking English? Any advice greatly appreciated Cheers Guy

Does anyone know if the dates for Boxmeer 2008 have been fixed yet? Cheers Guy

Hi guys As requested, here are some pics of the Mistrals- I have not secured them properly, I've just slid them on so you can get an idea. They are quite loud on the open road- a real aggressive bark but if you ride slowly around town they are not too loud. You've done a great job on that bike Waspp! I have already got a small gel battery but am not going to relocate it- am having some triangular alloy side panels made up to cover it. Regards Guy

I told Carole Nash of every change I made to my bikes- no increase in premium at all.

Video Clip

Sorry to hear of your spill Ben. Wait until your head clears and you are calm and relaxed, then make yourself a nice cup of tea and start hunting t'internet for the bits you need- they will be out there! Guy

Sloooooow progress- still waiting for the Tank Shop to collect my bike so John can fabricate the tank and other bits- but in the meantime some shiny polished stainless Mistral pipes have arrived- upswept noisy versions made for a Le Mans V / 1000S that actually fit no problems. Apparently Mistral are going to stop making noisy pipes for Tontis soon so get in there quick if you want some.

Sounds great. I have an Impreza WRX ready to go- can anyone join in?!

Deploying a V11 in Iraq would bring peace and harmony to the desert- the insurgents would hang up their AK47s and dishdashas and decide that actually Western culture is the way to go- and they would then get a nice office job and a smart suit so they could afford the repayments on a Ballabio. Just to show there are no hard feelings, the American and British forces would operate a 24 hour desert breakdown service just in case any ex-insurgent suffered a break down caused by a dodgy relay / gearbox return spring / loose oil filter / oil starvation / vapour lock/ knackered wheel bearing / snapped Sachs / blown fuse etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc We'd all live happily every after thanks to the love created by Moto Guzzi. The End

Excellent! Looking forward to seeing you! Guy

Go for it Joe- don't worry about the School of Models- go for some proper cheap porn stars.

Ok fax me your orders and I'll have a word with my old mate, Santa. You will only get a present if you have been good, mind.

Helen's request to me for Christmas presents: Rossopuro crash protectors Alpinestars winter gloves I don't mind doing that sort of shopping! Guy

Happy with my V11? When I'm thundering along an empty twisty mountain pass in Europe, the sun shining on the snowy tops, Mistrals barking as I redline it in each gear, breathing in fresh alpine air while I enjoy the stable Ohlins inspired handling, then I'm as happy as a dog with two dicks. Guy

With flights being so cheap, much better to burn a carbon arseprint to Milan for the Eicma on a budget airline, maybe stay at Mandello for a couple of days, and get the train down to EICMA to see a proepr show with real bikes and nice laydees. Won't cost much more than the NEC and the food will be better I am sure! Guy

Welcome Dave!

Well you could get the video in the UK in the mid '80s- a bit more info. Stone

Unfortunately the NEC show has rapidly degenerated over the years and is now a bit of a farce- high ticket prices, expensive refreshements, poor quality vendors of cheap kit, more no win no fee solicitors than bikes on show. Oh yes- and if you go in car you will need a mortgage to pay for the car park. Attendences have been plummeting as many attendees swear they will never go back again and be ripped off in that way, and the organisers try and charge a fortune to any manufacturer who wishes to have a display- so unfortunately Guzzi have decided for the last 2 years that it is not commercially viable.

Correct! I saw the movie when I was in my teens and thought it was cheesey even then, but there is a good race between the Commando and a Kawasaki Z900 set around the suburbs of Sydney. Point to Mr Forrest. Guy

Helen's V11 Sport has been leaking for a while from the timing case, with the leak now getting pretty bad and now mine has started leaking too so I have ordered 2 new gaskets. After consulting the workshop manual, it looks reasonably straightforward to me but I have never done this job before- does anyone have any useful hints and tips before I wade in? Cheers Guy

Nope- no correct answers

Sounds like a good trip- and thanks for sharing the photos- what a beautiful country. And thanks for reminding me about the world cup! Guy

Have already given one! Don't want to make it too easy!

Yes the Republic does use euros- but BFG resides in Northern Ireland which uses sterling.